Now Griddle Me This! The All-New BMW M4 Competition

So here it is… in all its frameless grilled glory! BMW’s much talked about grille design may be a polarizing one, but the M4 Competition, along with its M3 Competition sibling really look much better in the flesh.

OneShift Editorial Team

05 Apr 2021

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While you would find it nearly impossible to milk 200km/h out of the M4 Comp in most spaces, the coupe hits the mark in just 12.5 seconds.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, we spent a whole day getting a taste of both M- badged cars, and we liked what BMW has brought to the table. While we speak about how lovely the BMW M4 Competition is, allow me to remind you that electrification is just around the corner, and we have very little time to enjoy such soulful creations.

Large frontal polarizing snoozles aside, the M4 Competition’s styling steps further away from the M3, as compared to the previous F82 iteration; all of which was simply a coupe version of the F80 M3. The G82 on the other hand has distinctly different rear haunches, which go along with frameless windows and sloping rear glass. Even the rear tail light treatment is dissimilar from those on the M3.

BMW folks here decided to hand us the car in Sao Paolo Yellow, a challenging colour to photograph in the afternooon sunlight (fortunately for us, they hand on-hand, a very good photog for this series of pics), but the not-so-mellow yellow certainly makes the M4’s power bulges pop.

In matching the yellow exterior, our test car’s interior was smothered in Yas Marina Blu premium Merino leather, complete with body-matching yellow accents. If you are one of those who takes their car to the circuit, there is an M carbon bucket seat upgrade that allows you to remove the head cushion to accommodate the rear-end of your helmet, leaving your head where it is supposed to be, rather than it being uncomfortably pushed forward.

Under the hood, the M4 Competition shares the same signature 3 litre in-line six as its sedan sibling, pushing out an identical 510hp and 650Nm. Behind the wheel, you can tell right away that the M4 Competition has so much to give. With its uprated power and torque figures, acceleration with the foot down and with all its performance buttons poked, is nothing short of ballistic. While you would find it nearly impossible to milk 200km/h out of the M4 Comp in most spaces, the coupe hits the mark in just 12.5 seconds.

The variable-ratio steering is simply magic, with surgical point-and-shoot accuracy, and loads of feels from the tramac below. The Germans have also dialed in a little bit of rear-end step-out-and-slip if you choose to call it up, we on the other hand chose not to go there ourselves. With how balanced the M4er is, those who can head north for a Sepang track day, will definitely have their fun with some side-driving action. While you can squeeze out some pops and bangs from the car, we notice that it does seem a little tame when compared to the M4 it replaces.

Through our brief drive between both the coupe and sedan, we found that the M4 Comp had a little more bite in ‘Sport Plus’ when compared to the sedan. Punch it around some turns, and right away, the M4 feels just more accurate. That said, it is a slight difference, and most peeps would not realise this, since it wouldn’t be everyday that you would be able to hop between one car and then the other… and back again.

Calling up the right drive settings is easier than before with the new Operating System 7, where you can set anything you’d like, from how the brakes behave, to even how much or little the suspension should damp. Your preferred drive settings can then be stored, and called up with a push of either one of the red M1 or M2 buttons on the steering wheel; ensuring that you can have the car at Mr Hyde at one moment, and Mr Hyde+ the very next.

While the M4 Competition has got more grunt on-tap, we like that the boffins at BMW M have also tamed the suspension a little in its ‘Comfort’ drive mode, making it easier on your back, if you were to choose this to be a daily driver.

Which is the right M car for you? Well, the M3 Competition is very slightly milder, and sure it is more practical, with a larger boot and two more opening doors. The M4 Competition on the other hand, is a very practical coupe, with ample leg space at the rear, and quite the generous 440 litre boot, just 40 litres less than its sedan sibling.